On the Other Side I'll Find You
by KeepingUpDisappearances
Summary: It has been three years since she left the world of gods and spirits, and Chihiro, now entering her awkward teenage years, wonders if she'll ever see Haku or any of her otherwordly friends again. Then, one day, she finds herself back at the tunnel in the woods-for someone very much wants her to return. Will Chihiro be able to stay in the spirit world? Will she want to?
1. The Call

It had been three years since he'd seen the girl who had befriended him and eventually brought him to Zeniba's house, where the good witch—quite the opposite of her sister, Yubaba—had helped him become a productive and humble spirit.

No-Face stopped knitting and looked out of the open window of Zeniba's cottage. The dusk was deepening into evening and the air was cool and fresh, just like the night Chihiro and Haku had left. The once misunderstood spirit wondered briefly why Chihiro hadn't said goodbye to him. He charitably—and accurately—reasoned that it was because the little girl had been so eager to go back to the bathhouse to free her parents from the spell.

"Are you still thinking about Chihiro?" asked a gentle voice behind him. No-Face turned to see Zeniba looking at him sympathetically. He nodded. Though he knew some Japanese and could communicate well enough with the humans and the other creatures, he usually did not have much to say.

"I have a feeling she'll be back someday," Zeniba said sincerely.

No-Face cocked his head at her, as if he didn't quite believe it. Chihiro had her beloved parents now and was on the other side of the gate to the spirit world. Zeniba guessed what he was thinking and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I don't know _when,_ but I'm sure it will be before long," she continued. No-Face returned to his knitting. _When will I see her? She was my first friend,_ he thought.

Zeniba had said that Chihiro would come back. Of course she would! She _had_ to.

…

"Those look very interesting, Chihiro. How very creative!"

Chihiro startled and looked up at her art teacher, Mari Hashimoto*. She and her classmates had been asked to invent and draw fantastic creatures, and Chihiro had so far drawn some of the spirits and gods she'd met in the bathhouse three years, including No-Face.

"Oh…thank you," Chihiro said quietly. She finished drawing the markings on No-Face's mask.

Chihiro hid a wistful frown. Of course, nobody knew that her 'creations' were real. Chihiro missed many of the people, creatures and spirits she'd met at the bathhouse and beyond. She thought fondly of Haku, Lin, Zeniba, Boh—and No-Face. As she put away her pencils, Chihiro again felt a twinge of regret for not having said goodbye properly.

Now that she was entering her awkward teenage years, Chihiro had on more than one occasion wished she could slip away from the various stresses and dramas of her life and go back to the bathhouse, but how could she do it? She couldn't drive back to the mysterious tunnel that had led her to that strange and wonderful world of spirits, and if she asked her parents to bring her back, what would they say? They had been no memory of the amount of time that had passed or even of eating the enchanted food. Chihiro's father especially had been baffled by the fact that a month's worth of dust and moss had crept over their car; to him, he and his wife had only been gone a few minutes.

"Chihiro! What's going on in that empty head of yours, moron? Class is over!" a jeering male voice laughed.

Chihiro felt her face burning as she came back to the present and rose from her chair, taking her pencil box and sketch pad with her.

"Shut up, Minori!" Chihiro spat, ready to chuck the box of pencils at him. She often drifted into thoughts of the 'other world', the world occupied by fantastic gods, fascinating creatures, and one very much loved dragon boy. This had earned teasing from all but her closest friends. But even her best friend never knew what was in Chihiro's daydreams.

"Can't take the truth, eh?" the lanky boy sneered, following her out of the classroom. "My name means 'truth'. I tell it like it is."

The sketch book and box of papers fell to the floor of the hallway with a thud. Chihiro flew at Minori, knocking him to the floor and pinning him down with surprising strength. There were gasps from the students standing in the hall as Chihiro slapped her nemesis's face.

"How _dare_ you, Minori!" Chihiro shouted, her dark eyes blazing. "You think you're just the biggest thing to come to this school? You're wrong! You're nothing but a big bully!"

"Let me up…not fair…you attacked me…" Minori gasped.

"No!" Chihiro hissed, just as someone grabbed her hand and pulled her away.

"Miss Ogino, _enough!_ You may leave school now!"

Chihiro turned and cringed; the principal was holding her arm and looking very angry indeed. Minori scrambled to his feet, gave Chihiro a provoking smirk, and then fled. The other students were still paused as if frozen. One girl had dropped a stack of books onto her foot and didn't even notice.

Nobody had expected 'spacey' Chihiro Ogino to react like this. One boy started to clap, for Minori had been a bully to more than one schoolmate. A warning glance from the principal silenced the boy.

"Unless," the principal added as an afterthought, "you don't have a way to get home until school lets out."

"No. I walked to school, I can walk back," Chihiro said dully.

"That'll do," the principal said smoothly. "Come to my office during lunch period tomorrow and we'll discuss your discipline."

Nodding to show she understood, Chihiro picked up her drawing supplies and went to her locker to get the rest of her things. She crammed it all into her backpack, slung it over one shoulder, and marched away. The boy who had clapped called out to her:

"Don't let that Minori get you down! He's a real wimp when someone plays his own game, right?"

Chihiro flashed him an appreciative smile but continued walking. She was soon out of the building and headed to her home, which was only five miles away. Without any conscious initiation, her mind flashed back to that fateful morning when she and her parents had been driving to that home for the first time. She could almost hear her father's voice:

"_Look, Chihiro, there's your new school!"_

"_It doesn't look so bad,"_ her mother had chimed in.

"_It's gonna stink. I liked my old school," _the sulky ten-year-old Chihiro had rebuffed her.

Chihiro had started attending that school the day after she and her parents had returned from…well, _you_ know where. Chihiro did not want to think about it, or she might cry, and crying and walking at the same time was not a good combination.

But she couldn't help it; Chirhiro's vision blurred and she had to blink back the tears when she came to an intersection so that she could see when it was safe to cross. She suddenly felt again like the confused, lonely Chihiro of three years ago.

And then—

Chihiro felt herself being drawn back to that spot; back to the rutted lane in the woods, that archway, and that tunnel. She began to walk a different direction, turning away from the intersection and heading in a more westerly direction. She was going _back._ Of that Chihiro was sure. She had no idea how she knew the way, but she kept walking.

"I'm coming, Haku! I'm coming, Lin and No-Face and Zeniba! I'm coming, Boh! Even _you,_ Yubaba! And everyone else!" Chihiro cried out as she walked on, her eyes on a low, distant hill. That was where she had to go.

* * *

_*Hashimoto is a Japanese surname meaning 'base of the bridge' according to . I chose this to allude to the bridge that leads to the bathhouse. 'Mari' is the name of a wonderful art instructor at the community college I attended a few years ago. She's a brilliant artist and loves to share Japanese culture, so this, in part, is dedicated to her. :)_


	2. Chihiro's Return

An hour later, Chihiro found herself stumbling over the rutted, weedy path that ran through the thick woods. She caught a glimpse of the tunnel and began to run, though she kept tripping over vines and stones. About hallway to the tunnel, she fell, but immediately got up and continued to run.

Though she was still in control of her own thoughts, Chihiro was being pulled back to the tunnel by an irresistible force. She broke through some bracken and nearly stumbled over the little god-statue with its odd, grinning face.

"To think I was _afraid_ of it!" Chihiro said aloud, laughing. She could remember stubbornly standing by it as her parents had started walking through the tunnel on that significant day. None of them had imagined what they were in for.

The little statue was chipped now, but it was still grinning through the moss on its face.

Chihiro gazed past the statue and fixed her eyes on the tunnel. The wall was cracked in several places, but the tunnel was still open and the sound of the wind still echoed within it. Chihiro suddenly rebelled against the force that was drawing her back to the world on the other side. Was someone really calling her back, or was she deluding herself, trying to make herself believe that she could return?

_The whispering voice, we never want to forget,_

_in each passing memory always there to guide you…_

Well, she had already come this far, Chihiro reasoned. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. If disappointment was at the other end of the tunnel, then so be it. There was no point in turning back after she had come all ten miles to get here.

Chihiro took a deep breath and walked through the tunnel, eventually ending up in the train station. Rainbow light still shone through the round, colored window and she could hear the faint sound of the train itself . Trembling, Chihiro walked through the arch and into the light of day.

The meadow lay before her. The wind was making the grasses stir, so that the meadow rippled like a green lake. Chihiro stumbled through the dry riverbed and hurried up the steep flight of stairs that would bring her to the restaurant area. At the top, she stopped to catch her breath and looked at her surroundings. On either side of the wide path were the restaurants. Nothing had changed. Chihiro continued to walk on.

As she came closer to the bathhouse complex, Chihiro could see something at the near end of the red bridge. Someone _was_ waiting for her. Shading her eyes against the bright sunlight, Chihiro took a closer look. Who could it be? A moment later she had her answer. There was no mistaking that translucent back form with its solemn mask.

"No-Face!" Chihiro exclaimed, and she moved toward the bridge as if she was flying. She threw her arms around No-Face, momentarily forgetting that he was not fully corporeal. It was rather like trying to embrace water or a cloud—but Chihiro didn't care. She was back!

Stepping away from No-Face, the teenage girl looked at the shadowy black spirit, who suddenly presented an apple to her.

"Take," No-Face said, sounding concerned, and pointed at Chihiro's hands, which, unknown to the girl until now, had started becoming transparent. Horrified, she immediately took a bite of apple and swallowed. In her excitement Chihiro had forgotten that only eating food from the spirit world would keep her from disappearing completely.

"Thank you, No-Face," Chihiro said gratefully.

"Did…did _you_ call me here?" the girl asked suddenly in a flash of insight.

No-Face nodded, and Chihiro felt a rush of guilt.

"I'm so sorry I never said good-bye properly!" Chihiro cried, but No-Face shook his head as if to say, "Don't worry about it."

No-Face beckoned to Chihiro and they walked across the bridge together. When they arrived at the entrance to the bathhouse, a squat, fleshy creature wearing a green, peaked cap held up his hand and spoke sternly to No-Face.

"We're not open for business yet. Please come back in the evening."

"Chichiyaku?" Chihiro asked, and No-Face stood aside so that the bathhouse manager could take a closer look at Chihiro.

"How do you know my name?" Chichiyaku demanded. "And why are you here? You're a _human!_"

"Do you remember a little human girl named Sen?" Chihiro asked, smiling. Chichiyaku stared.

"_Sen?_ Is that you?"

"Absolutely!"

Chichiyaku reached out, solemnly shook Chihiro's hand, and then escorted her into the bathhouse. Chihiro gazed up at its many stories and smiled. It looked the same as usual, though it was quiet now, as customers would not arrive until the early evening. There were no workers in sight, but Chihiro knew that they were attending to any number of the constant tasks involved in the running of the bathhouse.

At that moment, a very familiar friend appeared, carrying a heavy bucket and looking angrily in Chichiyaku's direction. Chichiyaku and Chihiro halted abruptly as Lin practically threw the contents of the bucket in the manager's face.

"I've been working for an hour, and I _still_ can't get all the sap out of the pine tree spirit's bath! We need to brainstorm—the regular cleaning solution isn't working!"

"Lin?" Chihiro said hesitantly. Lin whirled, nearly splashing Chichiyaku with pine-spirit sap.

"_Sen?_" Lin exclaimed. It had been three years, but Lin immediately recognized the human girl that she'd taken under her wing.

Chihiro nodded, and Lin's angry frown turned to a smile. She put down the bucket and immediately embraced her friend. Chihiro felt incredibly happy. Coming back to the bathhouse was like coming home.

Alas, the happy reunion was cut off when Chihiro and her companions heard a creaky, sour voice say something in what was almost a snarl. Chihiro turned around and smothered an exclamation of surprise. Coming toward the small group was a squat, wrinkled witch wearing a blue dress, her gray hair pulled tightly into a bun. Chihiro recognized Yubaba immediately. This couldn't be the kindly Zeniba, though at first glance both sisters looked exactly alike. Yubaba's sour, pinched face was immediately recognizable.

"Chichiyaku, _who_ is this human and why did you let her in?" Yubaba demanded, coming up to the group and looking directly at the manager with a severe expression.

Chihiro stepped forward and confronted the witch. "It's me, Sen, and I came here on my own. I wanted to see my friends again."

"Sen! My, how you've _grown,_" the witch said bitterly, still remembering how Chihiro had broken the curse put upon her parents and returned to the human world. The memory still rubbed raw with her, for it was the first time _anyone_ had broken one of her curses. And to add injury upon insult, a _little girl_ had broken the dark spell of one of the most powerful witches in the spirit world! Even the bathhouse workers had eventually been on Chihiro's side.

"Ah, I see the No-Face is still your…_friend,_" Yubaba spat out the last word with contempt. "Do you release how much destruction and chaos you caused by letting him in?"

"Yubaba, it's been three years. Let it go!" Chihiro said. "No-Face is changed now! He was only feeding off of the greed and corruption that was in the bathhouse at the time."

Chichiyaku spoke up unexpectedly. "I agree with Sen. We were all very selfish and greedy at that time."

Lin nodded in agreement. "Sen wasn't. She helped us see what's really important."

The humble Chihiro blushed at the lavish praise, but kept looking steadily at Yubaba. The witch was momentarily stunned into silence at the boldness of her workers. How could such a little shrimp of a girl have affected them this much? Yubaba marched closer to Chihiro until she was just inches away from her face.

"And what about your dragon friend?" Yuababa said. "Are you here to see him, too?"

An image of a pearly-white dragon with a grass-green mane flashed through Chihiro's mind. The dragon transformed into a handsome boy with sympathetic gray-green eyes, and Chihiro heard the echo of a promise.

_"Will we meet again sometime?"_

_ "Sure, we will."_

_ "Promise?"_

_ "Promise. Now go—and don't look back."_

Chihiro stared at her feet as Lin and Chichiyaku tactfully parted. Only No-Face stood by her now, a quiet, comforting presence. A seed of doubt began to grow within Chihiro's soul. It had been three long years, and she hadn't had any word from Haku. No-Face had been the one to remember her and want her back badly enough to call her. Not Haku. Had the dragon boy forgotten her?

Yubaba looked knowingly at Chihiro, a triumphant smirk on her face.

"I think I'll visit Boh," Chihiro said abruptly, and hurried away, No-Face floating beside her.

The huge baby was overjoyed to see Chihiro again. The latter was very glad to see that Boh wasn't as spoiled and demanding as he had been when she had first met him (and was not such a germaphobe either). Boh had been reading an enormous book—well, enormous to Chihiro, at any rate—when she had walked in. Chihiro took a closer look at the cover and smiled. The title read, _Legends of the Human World._

"Boh! You've learned to read!" Chihiro said cheerfully.

"Yeah," Boh said, picking up the book. "It's all about humans and all the things they do! Humans sound silly!" he giggled. "Want me to read you a story?"

"I'm going to see Kamajii now, but I'll come back. I'd love to hear a story!" Chihiro said sincerely, and a broadly smiling Boh waved goodbye to her.

Chihiro hurried out of the bathhouse and down the narrow side stairs that led to the entrance of the boiler room. Pulling open the heavy metal door, she was immediately hit with a blast of damp heat. She slipped into the room and was completely envelopes by the heat.

When her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see Kamajii at his seat by the bellows. Customers would be arriving soon, and he was beginning to work the bellows. His lanky, many-armed figure was silhouetted against the orange glow from the furnace.

"Kamajii!" Chihiro called out, but he did not turn his head. Chihiro spoke his name more loudly, and Kamajii turned his head.

"Another human!" he exclaimed. "We just had a human three years ago! Did you end up here by accident?"

Chihiro smiled. "No. No-Face called me here. He still remembers me."

Kamajii stared and studied Sen for a long time.

"Why, if it isn't Sen!" he said in amazement. "And look how much you've grown! Come here, you," he went on. Reaching out one very long and possibly infinitely extendable arm, he reached out, pulled Chihiro to him, and gently hugged her.

"I think you have some little friends that would like to see you," Kamajii said, and whistled. Immediately a flood of sootballs streamed out of holes in the walls. When they saw Chihiro, they stopped as if Yubaba had put a freezing spell on them. Chihiro grinned at them, and then there was a great sound of squeaking and cheering. The sootballs recognized her and remembered how she had helped put the coals into the furnace.

"Well, they're really glad to see you," Kamajii said.

"Kamajii," Chihiro said to the creature that had helped her get a job at the bathhouse, "Have—" She paused and swallowed hard. "Have you seen Haku?"

"Haku has been sent to another part of the spirit world to help his sister, Smaragdus, the spirit of the Green River. She has been injured."

"When will he be back?"

"Until his sister is better, I suppose."

Chihiro felt sorry for Smaragdus, but she had to know…something.

"Kamajii, do you know if Haku ever…mentioned me again?"

Kamajii gave Chihiro an understanding look, but he shook his head. As gently as he could he divulged, "No. Some of the bathhouse workers were saying that…that it was strange that he never said anything about you after you left."

Chihiro's heart sank.

Haku had forgotten her.

* * *

Note: 'Smaragdus' is Latin for 'Emerald'.

The verses in italics are from 'Always with Me' (English translation) from 'Spirited Away'


	3. A Visit to Zeniba

Chihiro felt as if she felt her heart falling. Ignoring Kamajii's sympathetic look, she hurried out of the boiler room, slamming the door behind her. She stood at the top of the staircase, for a moment, breathing hard, and looked around her. The sky deepening to a rich blue and the stars were starting the come out. The water that stretched out to the shining city was dark and serene. In the distance Chihiro could see the headlight of the train.

Haku had never said _anything_ about her? _Had_ he forgotten her?

_Don't be ridiculous,_ Chihiro told herself. _Just because Haku didn't mention you to others doesn't mean he's forgotten you. He never really had much to say…i_

Chihiro winced at the bittersweet memory, and she felt a cool, misty arm go around her shoulders. Turning her head, she saw that No-Face was trying to comfort her. Touched by the spirit's kind gesture, she managed to calm down. She remembered something that Zeniba had said: _"Once you've met someone you never really forget them."_

"Come along, No-Face," Chihiro said. "I want to go back to the bathhouse and see the gods and spirits coming over the bridge. Haku couldn't forget me—he wouldn't. I just hope I can see him soon."

Girl and spirit walked back to the bathhouse complex and stood by the bridge to watch the lavish, brightly lit boat pull up to the dock. Already spirits and gods were coming out of their rooms. Chihiro grinned when she recognized the radish spirit, a plump, shaggy white figure with squinty eyes beneath a broad-brimmed red hat.

Near the end, however, was a spirit Chihiro didn't recognize. It was tall, with long legs, gnarled hands and intense green eyes. Its 'hair', in a darker shade of green than its eyes, was prickly and pulled back by what looked like a pinecone-shaped clip. It was, Chihiro guessed correctly, the pine tree spirit that left sap all over the baths.

"I'm going to help Lin run the baths," Chihiro said to No-Face and hurried into the bathhouse. No-Face parted from his friend and went to the kitchens to see if there was anything to eat (especially oatmeal cookies or tapioca pudding).

Chihiro found Lin starting a bath for the Ootori-Sama, or bird spirits. These spirits were so very cute and fluffy (like oversized yellow chicks) that the human girl almost laughed. She stopped herself just in time, not wanting to insult them—for they _were_ spirits.

"May I help, Lin?" Chihiro asked.

"You can fill the bath over there," Lin replied, indicating to a bath across the room. "Look, the customer is coming now—hurry!"

Chihiro quickly filled the bath for an intimidating apparition. She recognized right away that this was not just a spirit, but a god. It looked like a granite sculpture of a human—yet it was far more dignified than the most noble human, with a high, stern face. It was, Lin told her in an undertone, the God of the Iron Mountain.

When the bath was filled, Chihiro stepped back, bowed in respect and then continued helping Lin. It was almost midnight when the customers parted and the workers were able to relax. Chihiro and Lin went to the employees' common room, where they found No-Face floating around and nibbling on a cookie.

"Hi, No-Face," Chihiro said, smiling. "Are there any more of those cookies?"

No-Face nodded and indicated toward the kitchen. Chihiro promptly got a large plate of cookies and a pitcher of honeyed tea, and she and Lin had a nice snack.

Chihiro was very tired that night, as she was no longer used to the hectic pace of the bathhouse. When she fell asleep, however, she dreamed of dancing and flying in the sky with a certain dragon.

…

The following morning, Chihiro decided to travel to see Zeniba so, with No-Face at her side again, she took the train all the way to the sixth station, just as before. The vast expanse of water was still and shimmering, and the train moved silently over the tracks as usual. There were no other passengers, and Chihiro and No-Face got off soon enough.

They followed the now-familiar path to the little cottage in the woods; before Chihiro could even knock, the door was opened and there stood Zeniba, with her gentle, cheerful smile and merry, kind eyes.

"Chihiro, I have been expecting you," Zeniba said softly.

Chihiro threw her arms around the grandmotherly witch. "I missed you, Granny," she said.

"Thank you, child," Zeniba replied. "Now come along—you must be hungry after your train ride. I just made some oatmeal cookies. They happen to be—"

"No-Face's favorite," Chihiro and Zeniba said together, giggling. No-Face also made some sounds that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

The odd trio sat at the table once again, nibbling on the cookies and sipping herbal tea. Zeniba was full of questions about what had happened in Chihiro's life since the parting three years ago, and Chihiro told as much as she could. Zeniba hid a smile when the girl told about her fight with Minori.

"Oh, child, he just thinks he's being strong and mature," Zeniba said. "Boys his age are all like that. It's part of growing up."

Chihiro shook her head. "Not everyone. Not Hak—" she began, and then snapped her mouth shut. Zeniba gave her a scrutinizing look.

"You haven't forgotten your dragon boy, have you?" she said gently.

"No, but _he_ has forgotten me, Granny!" Chihiro cried, suddenly feeling insecure again.

The good witch looked at Chihiro in sympathy. "No. No he hasn't."

"No?" Chihiro said. "But it's been three years…and he never mentioned me to anyone at the bathhouse, ever."

"Haku hasn't forgotten you. He just wanted you to get through your adolescence before he called you back. He thought it would be difficult for you to be between two worlds while growing up."

"But it wouldn't be…I know it wouldn't be," Chihiro protested.

"I know,"Zeniba said, "but though Haku wanted to be cautious. He's not wholly human, of course, and he doesn't fully understand human emotions."

"At least he hasn't forgotten me," Chihiro said a few moments later, though she could not help but feel a trace of doubt. "Well, Granny, I think I'll go back to the bathhouse. Lin is still having problems cleaning the sap from the pine spirit's bath. No-Face, if I don't see you again before I go to the human world again…I love you. You're a good friend."

No-Face began dancing in place, obviously happy. Chihiro and Zeniba smiled, and then the girl took her leave and left the cottage. She had barely taken a few steps outside when she jumped in surprise. Before her stood a beautiful Pegasus, whose blue wings looked like shimmering water, and its emerald green mane and tail contrasted with its pale beige body.

"Who…what…" Chihiro said, dazed, and then, suddenly, the Pegasus was not there; in its place was a girl with glossy black hair and dark green-grey eyes. There was something very familiar about her face. Chihiro stood in frozen silence until the girl spoke.

"Chihiro, come with me. I want to take you to someone I love dearly."

"Are you…Smaragdus?" Chihiro said. The girl smiled.

"Yes. And I'm taking you to see Haku. That stubborn brother of mine! He didn't think you were ready to go back to the spirit world."

"You're taking me to see him?" Chihiro said incredulously as Smaragdus phased back into her Pegasus form. The winged horse nodded, and then bent down on her front legs, signaling Chihiro to get onto her back. The human girl did so, with some difficulty, sitting in front of the wings and wrapping her hands in the silken mane.

Smaragdus took off gently, and her flight was smooth and effortless. Her wings barely moved as she steadied herself and took advantage of a warm current of air. They were almost floating, in contrast to the dragon's winding, almost snake-like movements.

Chihiro had never seen the land below during daylight. The forest in which Zeniba lived was like a shadow of dark green thinning into the serene, rippling meadow. The water looked even clearer from above, and the lonely train glided over the tracks again. In the distance she could see the bathhouse, a brilliant splash of red against the meadow and the sky. The wind from Smaragdus's wings flowed past Chihiro's ears and sounded almost like a song.

The Pegasus flew south for about an hour, and the meadows and trees slowly gave way to low blue mountains whose tops glittered in the sun. Just as Chihiro was starting to be drowsy from the warm sunlight and the winged horse's smooth flight, the latter began to descend, aiming for a small valley between two broad mountains. There was a house in the middle of the valley, a house that shimmered like a pearl in the sun.

Smaragdus landed gently in front of the house and knelt on her front legs so that Chihiro could dismount easily. The girl straightened and then looked in awe at the house that lay before her. It was a simple two-story house, but it was beautiful. The roof was tiled with mother-of-pearl tiles, and a wide veranda wrapped around the first story. The house was painted a silvery blue color, and lush vines clung to the front wall. Gray granite steps led to the front door, which was made of shining rosewood.

"Go ahead," said Smaragdus's lilting voice, and Chihiro jumped. She had forgotten that her companion was there, and now in human form.

"I can't," Chihiro gasped, suddenly feeling weak.

"Chihiro!" Smaragdus's voice was sharp. "Don't be who you were three years ago, before you came to the bathhouse. Be _strong._ Don't turn back _now_!"

"I suppose you're right," Chihiro grumbled, and trudged ahead, her heart pounding. How would Haku react to seeing her? How would _she_ react to seeing him? She stumbled up the steps and hesitated at the door. She noticed after a moment that the door was engraved with beautiful patterns and pictures—mountains, stars, planets, the sun, and rivers intertwining.

Then, with trembling hands, Chihiro reached for a silver bell hanging off to the side of the doorknob and rang it. It made a bright, tinkling sound, but it seemed to clang and echo in Chihiro's mind.

She waited for the door to open…

* * *

_Hope you all enjoy this chapter...I enjoyed writing it, though I now want oatmeal cookies._ :D


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